Water safety and Drown proofing during recruit school

Water Training Video

This video above is another part of the gruesome Indiana Conservation Officers recruit school. This particular training is part of the water safety and drown proofing phase. recruits have to get used to swimming in fast moving water while trying to save one another. All Indiana Conservation Officers have to be apart of all drowning cases, it’s part of their job description.

Getting Dirty

recruits

This is all part of the Indiana COnservation Oficer recruit school. recruit school is a demanding and dirty job. Only the toughest survive this school of pain and discipline. These recruits are still in the forst stages of recruit school. at this point of time they are evtering the physical training portion of the school.

Indiana Conservation Recruit School

The Indiana Conservation Officer Recruit School is a para-military type of academy that is designed to push the recruits to their own limits. Recruit school is very demanding, both physically and mentally. It’s a tough, maximum performance environment to be in. Recruit School candidates participate in a very straining physical fitness training program. The training is to teach the recruit that giving up is not an option, just like when they will be working alone in in the field
In addition to the physical training, the recruitsalso learn military drill, case management, watercraft patrol/enforcement, fish and game laws and are specialized in firearms training, defensive tactics and vehicle operations.

All this training listed above leads to the field training part of their training which allows the recruits to observe and perform the dailiy duties of a conservation officer. Recruits are looked at and evaluated daily during the field training and have to complete a Field Training Officers manual and receive a passing grade before they are released on patrol status. After passing the recruits are then assigned to a location based on the DNR’s needs. Sometime within one year of  their employment all recruits will attend the 15 week Basic class held at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield. This class is the Indiana State trooper recruit School where they learn all the traffic laws and learn regular police activities.

In the words of my former instructor Chief Adams, “Push on recruits!”

Meteor Showers!!!

Pokagon State Park Interpretive Services is putting on a Geminid meteor shower watch on Tuesday, Dec. 13. 2011 All who want to witness this meteor shower should meet at the park’s CCC shelter lawn at 6:30 p.m. The meteor shower is said to last about two hours.

December 13th is the peak time to see showers of meteors or so called shooting stars. When the sun goeds down there will be tons to see. There will be hot drinks provided for free at the CCC shelter building fire pit. Conservation Officers ask that you dress warm and bring plenty of binoculars to witness such a amazing sight! This is an annual viewing at the park so respect the property and have a good time.

 

Governor Daniels is the new conservationist leader

Governor Mitch Daniels announced yesterday that 1,250 acres at a former state prison in Porter County is being transferred to the DNR to create the Indiana’s largest public game bird habitat area.
The property was worth moer than 5 million dollars overall and was scheduled for public auction in January but the governor ordered it  to be removed from the auction list and set aside for conservation.. It will become the largest public property in the state dedicated solely to game bird habitat.

“The acreage of wetlands and waterways we’ve protected has broken all records and won Indiana national recognition,” said Daniels. “But this is our first big opportunity to expand our upland game preserves and to bring our large-scale conservation program to Northwest Indiana.” Governor Mitch daniels

Officer of the year

Colonel Scotty Wilson, the director of the Law Enforcement Division of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, has announced that Officer Pete Slaven was the recipient of the Law Enforcement Division’s 2011 Pitzer Award for 2010.  The award was presented to Officer Pete Slaven in a ceremony in his honor at the Indiana Government Center on June 8th 2010.

The Conservation Law Enforcement Division consists of ten districts statewide along with the Investigation Section. Every year, each district and section selects a district “Officer of the Year” by vote of their fellow officers. Each officer chosen is then eligible for the state “Officer of the Year” to be selected by the director of the Law Enforcement Division and the director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resoures. Officer Slaven is from District 7 which includes Knox County, home of Vincennes UNiversity.  The officer chosen will then receive the “Pitzer Award”. This award was named after Indiana Conservation Officer James D. Pitzer who was shot and killed in the line of duty.

 

 

Conservation Officer retires after 35 Years of service.

Conservation Officer Kim Suitors retired this year after 35 and 1/2 years of service. Kim explains that its his time to get out and enjoy the rest of his life in blue jeans and t-shirts instead of a uniform. Suitors took his first position as a Conservation Officer in Whitley County in the far northern part of the state. This position lasted four years before Suitors made his way south to Putnam County in 1979. Suitors talks about all the changes that have happened over the years of his service, he says the iggest change is technology. Back in his early days all they had were two-way radios, now they have computers in the car. He also explains how it is his time to go . “With the economy the way it is, right now is a good time to go,” Suitors said, “We probably have 30-40 openings in the department. A lot of that is this big insurance change. Most of the older guys like me are getting out, so … plus, the computer. I hated that thing.”

The last statement he made when he was asked by the interviewer what he was going to do after retirement he answered, ”I’m going to fish and play with my grandkids.”

Officer Suitors will now be retired with full benefits and a lifetime of memories as and Indiana Conservation Officer.